Cord controlling device



June 24, 1941. 'p s s 2,246,989

CORD CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed'Jan. 4, 1940 Patented June 24, 1941 CORD CONTROLLING DEVICE Philip Sparkes, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 4, 1940, Serial No. 312,396 6 Claims. (01. 242-150) The present invention relates to cord and thread handling devices and is concerned more particularly with improvements in tensioning and clamping mechanisms for simultaneously controlling a plurality of threads or cords. The invention is particularly well adapted, though by no means limited, to use in machinesfor lacing shoe uppers, wherein a plurality of lacing mechanisms having reciprocating needles or other eyelet engaging devices act simultaneously to form a series of lacings from separate lengths of cord passing through the eyelets and across the edges of the shoe upper, a machine of this type being disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,106,320 issued January 25, 1938, to Joseph Fossa.

In a copending application Ser. No. 217,004 of the said Joseph Fossa there is disclosed a shoe upper lacing machine in which there is employed cord tensioning and clamping mechanism comprising a plurality of separable members between which the cords pass, the members being freely mounted on a common support so that clamping pressure applied to or removed from one member may be equally and simultaneously applied to or removed from all members, thereby affecting all cords alike.

While the described arrangement has substantially improved the operation of machines of the type described in the aforesaid patent, in certain instances difilculties have been encountered, such as a cord slipping out from between its clamping and tensioning members. Likewise, when one needle of the machineisomitted, especially one of the center needles, the idle cord is apt to become wound up with its clamping members.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide" novel and improved mechanism adapted to act equally and simultaneously upon a plurality of cords, threads or the like, to clamp or tension the same without risk of the cords or threads slipping out from between their clamping members or becoming wound up there- With.

In accordance with this object, a feature of the present invention involves the provision, in a device employing a plurality of separable members between which a plurality of cords or threads are adapted to be drawn, the members being arranged so that clamping pressure applied to or removed from one member simultaneously clamps or releases the other members, of means carried by the device and engaging the members for preventing rotation thereof. More specifically, the

support or rod on which the clamping members are movably mounted is provided, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, with a member supported at one end only and extending in parallel spaced relation to the rod, the periphery of each clamping member being notched to receive the member, whereby rotation of the members relative to the rod is prevented without restricting their axial movement in clamping and releasing the cords.

In the drawing illustrating the invention in its preferred form, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of the cord clamp of the invention with a portion of the releasing mechanism, showing the clamp mounted in operative position in a portion of a machine frame or in a bracket secured thereto; Figure 2 is a view in front elevation, partly in section and on a somewhat larger scale, of the cord clamp removed from the machine} and Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, the dot-and-j dash line serving to indicate the lead of a cord passing through the device.

The cord tensioning and clamping device illustrated in the drawing, like the device disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 217,004 above referred to, comprises a plurality of clamping members 6 mounted upon a singlesupport or rod 8. Each membercomprises a sleeve portion I 0 freely movable on the rod and provided with an integral flange I 2, the members being arranged in pairs with their flanges together to provide clamping surfaces between which the cords or threads are drawn.

Clamping pressure is applied to all members equally by means of a compression spring [4 which bears against a flanged sleeve l6 sliding on the rod 8 at one end of the series of members 6, the force of the spring being adjustable by means of a knurled ,nut I8 on threaded portion 20 of the rod. The other end of the row of clamping members bears against an abutment in the form of a collar 22 securedto the rod by means of a retaining pin 24 The cord clamping unit,,like that of the copending application referred to, is adapted to be 7 supported by its ends for quickly demountable mounting on the machine with which it is used. One end 26 of the rod is rounded to fit within a tapered recess 28 in a fixed portion 30 of the machine frame or bracket secured thereto, while the other end 32, conical in shape, is engaged by a retractable pin 34 provided with a seat for the shaft end, and having a knurled handle 35 substantially as described in said application.

At the points where the cords o-r thread pass between the flanges of the clamping members, the supporting rod 8 is formed, as in the prior arrangement, with passages or slots 36 to enable the cords to traverse the rod substantially diametrically, with the object of reducing the tendency of the clamping members to rotate under the pull of the cord. However, as shown in Figure 3, the lead of the cord, indicated at 38, is generally such that a substantial component tending to rotate the clamping members may exist in spite of diametrical passage of the thread with respect to the rod itself.

To avoid the diniculties frequently resulting when rotation of the clamping members occurs, which may cause a cord to be carried out of its proper position or result in winding up an idle cord when less than the full number of cords are being used, the cord clamp of the present invention is provided with means for preventing rotation of each of the clamping members without restricting their free axial I, movement in clamping and releasing the cords and without complicating the disassembling of the parts for cleaning. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, rotation of the members 6 is prevented by a stifi wire or rod 40 extending parallel to and spaced from the main supporting rod 8, the periphery of the flange portion l2 of each member being notched at one or more points 42 to receive the rod. The rod is supported at one end only, being bent at right angles at 44 and secured in the collar 22 on the support 8. By providing several notches in each member, the parts may be assembled rapidly and in different positions to provide new cord engaging surfaces when the faces of the flanges become worn in certain areas.

The cord clamp as a unit is prevented from rotation, relative to the machine on which it is mounted, by an extension of the pin 24 which is received within a recess 46 in a boss 48 in the supporting frame or bracket 30 in the same manner as the embodiment of the prior application. The position of the rod 40 in relation to the path of the cord 38is shown in Figure 3.

The mechanism for releasing the cords from the clamp may be of any suitable construction and arrangement, that shown in Figure 1 comprising a bell crank 50 and actuating lever 52 by which the sleeve [6 may be displaced to the right against the force of spring 14 to relieve the pressure on all the clamping members simultaneously. This releasing mechanism forms no part of the present application, being similar to that described and claimed in the copending application above referred to.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A device for controlling simultaneously a plurality of cords, comprising a supporting rod and a plurality of freely rotatable separable members thereon between which the cords pass, said device being adapted to be demountably supported by its rod ends, means for preventing rotation of the rod relative to its support, and

means carried by the rod for preventing rotation of the members relative to the rod.

2. A device for controlling simultaneously a plurality of cords, comprising a plurality of separable members between which the cords pass, a support on which the members are axially and rotatably movable, spaced slots in the support to provide passage for the cordssubstantially across the center thereof, an abutment for said members at one end of the support, means atthe other end of the support for applying clamping pressure to all of said members, and means carried by the abutment in parallel relation to the support for engaging and preventing rotation of the members relative to the support while permitting movement of the members axially of the support.

3. A device for controlling simultaneously a plurality of cords, comprising a supporting rod and a plurality of freely rotatable separable clamping members thereon between which the cords pass, slots in the rod to provide substantially diametrical passages for the cords through the rod, and means carried by the rod in spaced parallel relation thereto and engaging each of the cord clamping members for preventing rotation thereof.

4. A device for controlling simultaneously a plurality of cords, comprising a supporting rod and a plurality of freely rotatable separable members thereon between which the cords pass, slots in the rod to provide substantially diametrical passages for the cords therethrough, said device being adapted to be supported by its rod ends, means for preventing rotation of the rod relative to its support, and means carried by the device in fixed relation to the rod for preventing rotation of the members relatively to the rod.

5. In a machine employing a plurality of cords, a device for simultaneously controlling said cords comprising a supporting rod and a plurality of freely rotatable separable members thereon between which the cordspass, means carriedby the machine for engaging and supporting the device by its rod ends, said means including a member retractable to permit removal and replacement of the device in the machine, means for preventing rotation of thedevice relative to the machine, and means carried by the device for preventing rotation of the members on the rod.

6. A device for. controlling simultaneously a plurality of cords, comprising a plurality of separable flanged members between which the cords pass, a support on which the members are rotatably and demountably mounted, a plurality of peripheral notches in the flange portion of each member, means for imparting clamping pressure to the members simultaneously, and means carried by the device in spaced parallel relation to the support and received within a notch in each member for preventing rotation of, the members relative to the support,- whereby the members may be assembled on the support in a plurality of positions to render available a plurality of cord engagingsurfaces.

PHILIP SPARKES. 

